Everglow
by elle.grace123
Summary: When eight year old Grayson and four year old Aurora's mom dies, they go to live with their godfather, Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
1. Chapter 1

Eight year old Grayson stood outside the opened door of her new home fighting back tears. In the past three days her world had been ripped away from her, deconstructed, and thrown back at her 100 miles per hour. The first day was the worst, walking downstairs expecting to see her mom but instead seeing the babysitter who was supposed to leave the night before surrounded by two social workers and a child therapist who specialized in children who had lost a parent.

"Your mother was involved in a car accident last night." The therapist said after sitting her down in the living room. "The accident was serious. I'm so sorry."

Grayson looked around at the six eyes staring at her like she was the new exhibit at the zoo, waiting to see how she would respond. She looked over at her four year old sister Aurora who looked up at her with a confused expression. She could tell she didn't understand what was going on but Grayson knew before the therapist sat them down what had happened. Her mom was dead. Died on impact at 12:08am coming home from a work trip.

They all just started at each other for a few minutes. The therapist said a few more words but Grayson tuned them out. She glanced over at her occasionally and saw the sadness and empathy in her eyes. It was the classic therapist look. She knew it well, after all her mom was a psychologist who catered to the members of the US Navy who came home from over seas. Only her mom specialized in PTSD. Not that that mattered anymore.

Then the questions came out, "What will happen to my sister and I?" "Who is going to take care of us?" and then the last question that caused Grayson to whimper, "When will I burry my mom?"

The reality of those six words were enough to make everyone in the room teary eyed and Grayson began feel the weight of not just her world on her shoulders but her little sisters as well. Dad left, mom was dead. They were orphans. She has seen this before in movies that lacked a happy ending.

September 13th the moving truck was packed. September 14th was the funeral. Septemeber 15th Grayson was on the front porch of their new home with the man that was supposed to take care of them.

"Gracie?" Gibbs said from inside. "You hungry?"

She shook her head as she walked into the house, shutting the oak door behind her. "Not really, just tired. Can I go to bed?"

"Of course." He said helping her hang up her coat on the rack by the door. "Your bed is set up upstairs. I'll set up everything else tomorrow."

She nodded and slipped up the stairs. Gibbs turned to the younger girl who was laying sprawled out on the couch on her stomach.

"I'm hungry." the small four year old said rubbing her tired eyes as she stood up. "Can I have ice-cream?"

Ice cream was Aurora's not so secret addiction. Just like her mom.

 _ **Flashback Four Years ago:**_

 _ **Six month old Aurora scooted on her belly across the dinning room floor in her pink footie pajammas as Alice and Gibbs sat at the Island in her kitchen and spooned cookies and cream ice-cream from the carton.**_

 _ **"The divorce was finalized last week." Alice said pulling her long wavy dark brown hair in a high pony tail. "Parker gave up all his parental rights."**_

 _ **"Really?" Gibbs said with a mouth full of ice-cream. "He didn't fight for any sort of visitation, or anything?"**_

 _ **She shook her head she she glanced over at Aurora still crawling around. "You know he hasn't even met Rory yet. He left before she was born and hasn't been back since."**_

 _ **"How does Gracie feel about all of this?" Gibbs asked.**_

 _ **She shrugged. "She is sad. She misses having a dad around even though he wasn't the greatest. He was all she ever knew. It breaks my heart when she brings him up. She feels like she did something wrong and that is why he left... and no matter how many times we talk about how it has nothing to do with her I can tell it still bothers her. Daughters need their Fathers. You know that."**_

 _ **"Mom?" They turned around to see the almost five year old in her light pink t-shirt, gray shorts and fuzzy socks. "Will you tuck me in?"**_

 _ **"Sure thing, Grace. Let me just get your little sister in bed first." She smiled stroking her daughters soft brown hair.**_

 _ **"Why don't you take Rory upstairs and I'll tuck Gracie instead. Its getting late anyways." Gibbs turned to Grace. "Would that be okay?"**_

 _ **She smiled as she flung her arms out. "Carry me!"**_

 _ **Gibbs laughed and tossed her over his shoulder and she squealed with delight. "Gibbs!"**_

 _ **"What! You said carry you! That is what I am doing!"**_

 _ **"I meant to carry me like a princess! Not a sack of potatoes!" She giggled.**_

 _ **Gibbs flipped her over on the other shoulder the same way and lugged her up the stairs. "But you're my little sweet potato!"**_

 _ **She laughed again as he tossed her on her bed and pulled the covers over her tight. He pushed the hair off of her face and patted her perfectly soft, rosy cheeks. "Comfortable?"**_

 _ **"Very." She nodded. "Gibbs, can I ask you a question?"**_

 _ **He knelt by the bed. "Anything."**_

 _ **"Do you come around here all the time because Daddy left us?"**_

 _ **"I come around here all of the time because I love you and Rory." He said. "I'm you godfather."**_

 _ **"Do you love my mom too?"**_

 _ **"I love her too."**_

 _ **"Thats good."**_

 _ **Gibbs smiled. "Any more pressing questions before we call it a night?"**_

 _ **"Can you come back tomorrow night to tuck me in again?"**_

 _ **Gibbs laughed. "Its a two hour drive from my place and I have to work. How about I come back next weekend and we will go out and get some ice-cream? Sound like a plan?"**_

 _ **She quickly nodded her head.**_

 _ **Gibbs leaned over and kissed her head. "Night, sweet potato."**_

 _ **"Night Gibbs. Love you."**_

 _ **"I love you too." He said turning off the light and shutting the door.**_

 _ **"Did I just hear her request to have you come back every night to tuck her in?" Alice smiled as she leaned next to the door with her arms folded.**_

 _ **"Yeah, am I promised I would be back next weekend." He laughed as they walked down the stairs together.**_

 _ **"Gibbs... Throughout the last year you've been here for the girls and for me more then any one else. With my parents passing, you have been family to us. I know when Parker and I asked you if you would be their Godfather you didn't sign up for this... I'm so sor-"**_

 _ **"Don't say it." He said.**_

 _ **"Right, sign of weakness." She laughed. "Thank you for everything, Gibbs."**_

Gibbs smiled and ruffled Rory's long dark brown hair. "Just a little. I don't want it to keep you up all night."

Gibbs watched her scarf down the bowl of chocolate ice-cream in record time. How she could do that without getting a brain freeze was beyond him. She reached her spoon in the carton to get another bite. Gibbs chuckled as he pulled it away and put it back in the freezer.

"You have had enough for tonight. You are going to be bouncing off the walls if you have anymore. Bedtime."

He carried her up the stairs and tucked her in her soft pink comforter.

"Gibbs," She said snuggling up in the covers. "I'm sad mommy died but I am happy we get to see you again."

He felt a pang of guilt. He had gone two years without seeing the girls and Alice. Things were complicated, too complicated to explain to a four year old. He would have to make up for all of that now.

"I love you sweetheart." He said. "Goodnight."


	2. Chapter 2

Aurora screamed as she ran up the stairs at NCIS in a failed attempt of getting away from Tony who was pretending to be a monster as he chased behind her.

"ROARRRR!" He yelled as he grabbed her from behind and threw her in the air.

Rory squealed with delight as Gibbs gave them both a disapproving look from his desk. "Hey! What did I just tell you both?"

The two stopped in their tracks as their eyes locked with Gibbs before looking guiltily down at the floor.

"That wasn't a rhetorical question." He continued after a moment of silence.

"No more running and yelling." They both mumbled.

Gibbs smirked and pointed to Tony's desk. "Tony get back to work and Rory come over here and do something more... quiet."

Rory ran over to Gibbs and jumped on his lap. "But we only have a few more minutes to play together since I am going to preschool today!"

"I know, speaking of that we need to get out of here so you're not late. Where did your sister sneak off to?"

Rory shrugged as Gibbs sat her down on his chair and placed a blank piece of paper in front of her. "Draw a picture while I go get her."

"I think she's hiding." Rory said taking her blue crayon to the page. "She said she didn't wanna go to school."

Gibbs rolled his eyes as he left the bullpen. "I've heard all about it."

He searched all the normal places she would hide at NCIS. If she wasn't glued to either Ziva's, McGee's or Tony's side she was down in the lab with Abby trying to learn how to braid her own hair, in the break room trying to get a snack out of the vending machine without paying like Tony taught her, or under the stairwell leading up to the directors office, but after checking all of those places he had no luck. He walked up and down the halls before looking at the women restroom sign.

Grayson was smart. There was no doubting that. He bet she figured it would be the one place Gibbs wouldn't go in to find her. He knocked on the outside of the door. "Grace?"

No reply.

"Grayson?" He said a little louder as he opened the door scanning the the restroom. He took a step inside and looked under the sinks and saw Grayson sitting with a book in hand.

"You're not allowed to be in here." She said without looking up from her book.

"And you're not allowed to be late for your first day of school." He said sitting down on the floor in front of her.

She sighed and set down the book. "I told you last night that I wasn't going."

He had heard all last night about how she wasn't going to school. After some shouting and tears on Graces part Gibbs ended the conversation with, "This is not a debate." Which sent Grace stomping up the stairs and slamming her bedroom door, leaving Gibbs downstairs with a headache.

"I'm not." She said this time with more force. "You can't make me."

Well, technically he could, but pointing that out wasn't going to get him anywhere. "Come here." He said patting his lap.

She glared at him. "Why?"

"Just come her." he said pulling her into his arms. "Do you remember when I dropped you off on your first day of kindergarten with your mom?"

She tried to hold back a smile, already knowing what he was going to bring up next.

"You wouldn't even get out of the car. Do you remember how we got you inside?"

"Ice cream." she mumbled.

He nodded. "Is that going to work on you this time?"

She laughed and looked up at him. "Only if it chocolate brownie ice-cream."

He laughed and kiss her head. "You got it. Lets go."

* * *

"Do I have to?" Rory asked peeking out from behind Gibbs legs and peering into the classroom full on 20 students. All this time Gibbs thought it was going to be Grace he would have to drag into school but she gladly jumped out of the car and waved goodbye to Gibbs and Rory. But after pulling into the parking lot of the local preschool and spending 10 long minutes in the car with a sobbing four year old he began to realized how mistaken he was.

Gibbs reached behind him to pat her head. "You are going to have a good time."

"But I just wanna go to work with you." The four year old said holding on tighter. "There are too many kids here."

"The bus is going to drop you off at NCIS after you are done with school for the day." He reassured her. "You need to go to pre school so you can learn about math and all that stuff."

"McGee is good at math." She mumbled into his leg obviously still unconvinced about the benefits of pre-K.

"Uncle Gibbs!" A small red head girl ran up to him giving him a big hug.

"Hey, Emily." Gibbs smiled. "I have someone I want you to meet."

Emily looked behind Gibbs legs at Rory and smiled before looking up at Gibbs. "Is this the girl my dad told me about?"

He nodded. "Rory this is Emily Fornell. Her dad is one of my best friends. We thought it would be nice for you both to be in the same class. Is that all right?"

Rory nodded.

"Don't worry uncle Gibbs, I'll take good care of her." Emily beamed as she grabbed her hand. "Come one, Rory, I'll show you the new crayons I got. They have glitter!"

Rory was so distracted by her new friend she didn't notice Gibbs slip out of the room. They spent the day attached at the hip even insisting on sharing the same mat at nap time.

"So is Gibbs your uncle too?" Emily asked as they drew a picture of a sunset on a bright yellow piece of construction paper.

"Um... I don't think so." Rory said not taking her eyes off her coloring.

"What is he then?"

Rory shrugged. "I don't know."

"Do you live with him?"

She nodded.

"Does he take care of you?"

"Yeah."

"Does he tuck you in at night and tell you he loves you?"

She nodded again.

Emily scrunched her nose as she thought about it for a minute. "It sounds like he is your dad. My dad does all that stuff for me."

"He's my dad?" She asked putting down the crayon and thinking the idea over.

Emily shrugged. "I think so."

Rory had never had a dad. She had never even met her dad before and she didn't know too much about him other then he never came around. A year earlier around the time of her birthday her mom asked her as she tucked her into bed what she wanted for her birthday. She smiled, "A dad." Even at the tender age of three she noticed her moms bright smile turn into a sorrowful frown. She saw her swallow hard and fight back tears as she tired to force a smile and say, "I'll work on that." That was the last time she had ever mentioned anything about wanting a dad.

* * *

That night before bedtime Rory sat on the bathroom counter in her pajamas staring at herself in the mirror as she practiced, "Dad... Dad... Dad... Daddy."

"Watcha doing, Rory?"

Rory sheepishly turned around to see Gibbs standing outside the bathroom door, embarrassed he had caught her practicing different ways to say 'Dad'. She looked down at her feet as they dangled off the backroom counter. "I was... practicing. Emily asked me today what you were to me and I told her I didn't know. She told me she thinks you're my dad now... but I wasn't sure. So I was going to ask you tonight at bedtime... But I wanted to practice first. Are you my dad now, Gibbs?"

"Do you want me to be?" He asked.

She thought about it for a second. "I think so... actually, yes. I do."

He scooped her up in his arms. "Its settled then! Ready for bed princess?"

She nodded and Gibbs carried her back to her room, tucked her in and kissed her forehead.

"DAD!" She shouted right after he shut the bedroom door.

Gibbs quickly poked his head back in. "Yes?"

She smiled as she pulled the covers up to her neck. "I just wanted to check to make sure it worked. Love you, daddy."

Daddy. He thought he had lost that name when he lost Kelly. Above any other title he had ever been given, "Dad" was the one he treasured most. In that moment he remembered what it felt like to be a little girls everything. Now, Grace and Rory were his everything too.


	3. Chapter 3

"It wasn't my call." Gibbs said as they sat in the waiting room of Dr. Marks private practice in downtown DC. "The social worker said so."

"The social worker?" Grace scoffed. "What does she know anyways?"

"Its eight mandatory visits to the psychologist. You've only been to three. Five more and you're done."

Grace rolled her eyes. "I think I said all that needed to in my last appointment."

"Grace, knowing you, you probably said all of two words. 'hello' and 'goodbye'."

"Actually I said four." She smirked folding her arms. "'Hello', 'goodbye' and 'I'm bored'."

"Daddy! I drew this for you!" Rory smiled running out of Dr. Marks office waving the colorful picture in the air. She pointed to the center of the picture which depicted her on the swings at the park by their house and Gibbs pushing her. "Thats me and you." Then she pointed to a brown haired girl sitting off in the distance under a tree. "Thats Gracie."

"Beautiful, sweetheart." He said turing to Grace. "Your turn."

Grace grimaced as she peeled off the sofa and dragged her feet all the way to Dr. Marks office.

"Your sister drew a picture today." Dr. Marks smiled pushing a pad of paper and crayons towards Grace. "I thought you might want to do one too?"

Grace sat back into the black cushioned chair and folded her arms as she looked over at the clock. It was going to be a long 42 minutes. She had mixed feelings about Dr. Marks. Sure she was nice and all, but she annoyed her. Mostly because she could feel Dr. Marks staring at her, analyzing her during each visit even though Grace never said more then a few words each session. Her mom used to do that when she wanted her to talk. Grace would hold out strong with a few minutes of silence but would eventually give in and tell her mom everything. Always. Her mom had the gift of getting people to talk to her about anything and that included both of her daughters. But that didn't matter anymore.

Dr. Marks tucked her curly, strawberry blond hair behind her ear. "Its there if you want it."

"So I only have four more times after this?" Grace finally asked.

"Technically yes. After your eight visits I will meet with the social worker in charge of you and your sisters case and we will see if we think more visits would be beneficial or-"

"Wait," Grace cut her off, sitting up in her chair now in full attention. "You get a say in weather or not we have to keep coming back here?"

"I guess you could say that." Dr. Marks said writing something down on her clipboard.

Grace sighed deeply and laid back in the chair again this time glaring at the clock. Still 37 minutes to go.

The two of them sat in silence as minute after minute rolled by slowly.

"Rory is calling Gibbs "Dad" now." Grace mumbled twenty minutes later looking down at her feet.

"How do you feel about that, Grace?" Dr. Marks inquired, again writing a note down on her clipboard.

Grace shrugged. "I don't know."

* * *

"Dad said I can have a turn now!" Rory whined reaching for the TV remote later that day after returning home.

"He isn't our dad, Rory!" Grace snapped holding the remote above her head. "Our dad left us."

"Well I never knew our dad!" She said jumping up in a failed attempt to get the remote out of Grace's hand. "Gibbs said he would be my dad now so I am going to call him that!"

"Well I won't call him dad." Grace said turning up the TV and muttering under her breath, "Dads end up leaving."

"Well newsflash, Grace, you don't have to call him that but I am!" Rory said on the verge of tears.

"Fine, weather you call him that or not... it still doesn't make him your dad."

That was is. Rory stopped jumping and gritted her teeth as her right hand balled up in a small fist. Before Grace could say anything else Rory's fist came in contact with her upper arm.

"RORY!" Grace yelped dropping the remote on the floor and rubbing her arm. "That hurt!"

"HEY!" Gibbs yelled running up the basement stairs into the TV room. "What is going on in here?"

"She hit me!" Grace said pointing at Rory who was standing across from her with her hands still in fists.

"With me, now." Gibbs growled grabbing Rory's upper arm and walking her up the stairs to her room. He pulled out the chair by her bed a placed it in the corner. "Sit."

"Its Grace's fault! She said-"

Gibbs picked her up and set her in the corner himself. "I don't care what she said. You do _not_ hit your sister!"

Rory's heart sank and lip began to quiver. Gibbs had never talked to her like this before. She sunk into her chair and whimpered, "But it was her fault."

"You need to cool down." He said kneeling down at her level. "While you do that you need to think about why you are sitting here. Do you understand me, young lady?"

"Yes." She cried folding her arms and turning her face away from him.

Gibbs sighed an went downstairs to where Grace was still sitting flipping through TV channels.

"Is your arm okay?" He asked looking at the red spot on her upper arm.

She immediately covered it with her hand. "Its fine."

Gibbs sat down next to her on the couch. "Do you want to tell me why your little sister hit you?"

"Because she is a brat." She shrugged.

"Grayson," He said in a warning tone. "What happened?"

Grace rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't let her have the TV remote so she just hit me."

Gibbs nodded and turned the TV off. "I think the TV needs to go off for the rest of the day if it is going to cause problems. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

She shook her head. "Can I go outside in the backyard?"

"Yeah," Gibbs said rubbing his tired eyes with the palms of his hands. "Go ahead."

She ran out the door and Gibbs sat on the couch for a few minutes before going back upstairs into Rory's room where she sat with her hands in her lap facing the corner.

"Is timeout over?" Rory asked with pleading eyes as Gibbs walked into the room.

"Yes," He said lifting her into his arms and sitting down on the bed with her on his lap. "But lets talk about why you thought it was okay to hit your sister."

She rested her head against his chest. "Grace said you weren't my dad. She told me even if I called you Dad it still wouldn't make you my dad... so I hit her."

"Ah," Gibbs said shaking his head. "I know what Grace said hurt your feelings... but it isn't true."

Rory sniffed and looked up at him. "Its not?"

He shook his head. "Family is more then blood. Its about the people that love you."

"And you love me?" She asked, checking to make sure.

"Yes, I do." He nodded. "Next time someone says something that hurts you, or makes you mad you need to come talk to me. You will not hit. Do I make myself clear?"

She nodded. "Sorry, daddy."

He kissed her head. "You need to say sorry to your sister when she comes inside."

* * *

Later that night the girls hugged and made up but Gibbs knew he still needed to talk to Grayson. After tucking Rory is bed he knocked on her door.

"Grace," He said taking a seat in the chair next to her bed where she was sitting under the covers reading a book. "We need to talk."

"Okay." She said not taking her eyes off her book.

"Can you put the book down, please?" If there was one person in the world who was testing his patience right now it was Grace.

She looked at him out of the conner of her eye and then placed the book face down on her lap.

"You weren't truthful with me today." He said leaning forward to rest his elbows on his upper thighs. "Rory told me why she hit you and it wasn't the same thing you told me."

"Of course you would believe her." Grace said folding her arms. "You always take her side."

Now that wasn't true. The girls had never given Gibbs anything to "pick sides" on before. Even now, he wasn't trying to pick sides but trying to address the bigger issue at hand.

"I am not picking sides, Gracie." He said. "And this isn't about that. This is about what you said to your sister today. I want to talk to you about it."

Grace looked away from him and started playing with the corner of her book.

"Listen, sweetheart. I know you miss your mom." He began. "Its okay to be sad and angry but you can't take it out on your little sister like that. Got it?"

Grace continued to look down at her book. "Kay."

"Okay," He said brushing her hair out of her face and kissing her head. "I love you, sweet potato."

"Whatever." She said quickly sliding under the covers and facing the other direction.

"Goodnight." He sighed making his way out.

"Kay." She mumbled from under the covers.

He shook his head and shut her bedroom door as he wondered if Grace was really eight going on nine. With her attitude it felt more like eight going on eighteen.

"Are you okay Daddy?" Rory asked poking her head out of her bedroom.

Gibbs nodded and laughed. "Am I doing anything right, Rory?"

Rory nodded and smiled, "You're handsomer then all the other dads. Most of them don't have hair."

Gibbs laughed again as he ruffled her brown hair. At least he had his hair going for him.

* * *

A/N: I wanted to say a quick thank you to all who have followed, favorited a commented on this story. Thank you for the sweet encouragement. Ya'll are very sweet! Feel free to comment or message me about something you would like to see in the story. Have a wonderful day! :)


	4. Chapter 4

If little girls really were sugar, spice and everything nice then Rory was more sugar and Grace was more spice. While Rory gracefully fell into her new life Grace continued to struggle. She needed "more time" to adjust, or at least that is what she had overheard Ducky say to Gibbs one evening at NCIS. The one thing Grace and Gibbs had in common was neither of them were persuaded time was going to solve anything.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Duck. I know she isn't happy but every time I try to talk to her about it she shuts down." Gibbs sighed as he waited on Ducky's autopsy report. "Grace and I used to be so close before everything happened between her mom and I and now…"

"What ever happened between you and Alice, Jethro?" Ducky asked. "The few times I met her she seemed like a lovely woman."

Gibbs smiled, "Everyone loved Alice."

Ducky waited for a moment hoping Gibbs would answer his question before saying, "Why don't you and Grace spend some time together alone? That might open the pathway for more communication. You know I was reading yesterday an interesting article on the developmental health of children. Do you want to know which children preform the best socially and in school? The ones that spend one on one time with their parents!"

"I think you might be onto something, Duck." Gibbs smiled as he walked towards the elevator. He knew exactly what Grace loved. He walked through the bullpen and placed his credit card on McGee's desk. "I need two tickets for the DC Ballet this Friday evening."

"On it Boss," McGee replied typing away at his keyboard.

Gibbs looked at his watch. Grace should have been sitting in the bullpen by now. He looked under his desk for her backpack. Nothing. He turned to McGee, "Have you see Grace today?"

He shook his head. "I figured she was with you."

Gibbs pulled his flip phone out of his pocket and dialed her number. No answer. He dialed twice again. No answer.

"Can you track her cellphone?" he asked.

McGee shook his head. "She has a prepaid phone for kids, there is no GPS chip. I can't track it."

"Remind me to get her an ankle monitor." He growled trying to call her again.

"Maybe her bus is late? Or she had an after school activity she forgot to tell you about?" He suggested hopefully.

Gibbs shook his head and hung up the phone after it reached voicemail for the fifth time. "She should have been here half an hour ago. Something isn't right. Call Tony and Ziva."

* * *

 _Flashback two days ago:_

 _Grace leaned back in the brown leather chair in Dr. Marks office._

 _"_ _How did you do with your assignment last week?" Dr. Marks asked. Grace exhaled loudly and looked up at the ceiling. "Do you remember what your assignment was?"_

 _Grace rolled her eyes before making eye contact with Dr. Marks. "Yes. 'To form meaningful relationships in DC.'"_

 _She nodded. "Did you do that?"_

 _"_ _I have friends." Grace said folding her arms. "Thats not why I wont to go back. I just need to go back to Maryland to take care of something."_

 _"_ _What do you need to take care of?" She inquired writing down a note in her notebook._

 _Grace shrugged. "Stuff."_

 _"_ _Well, you don't have to tell me but you should talk to Gibbs about it. Maybe he could drive you to Maryland one day so you can take care of whatever you need too."_

 _"_ _Gibbs wouldn't understand." She said quickly. "Nevermind. Can we talk about something else?"_

* * *

"Excuse me?" Grace said standing in front of the ticket booth at the local train station. "One ticket to Maryland, please."

The man behind the ticket counter peered over to see Grace standing on her tip toes. "Where are your parents miss?"

Grace smiled as she looked over to a Dad off in the distance waiting for the Maryland train with a young boy would couldn't have been older the Rory.

"My dad is over there with my little brother. Can you believe he forgot to buy me a ticket? Parents theses days… am I right?"

The ticket man looked at her doubtfully.

"Listen," She sighed pointing to the man and his son. "That is my dad and little brother. He forgot to buy me a ticket so he sent me over here to buy one myself. I have money."

Grace pulled a wad of one dollar bills out of her bag and placed it on the counter. The man looked at Grace for a moment as if he were trying to decide weather to believe her or not before taking the money and handing her a ticket, "Make sure you stay with your dad. It isn't safe for little girls to be taking the train alone."

"Of course," Grace smiled as he grabbed her ticket. "My dad wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

Hello everyone, just wanted to apologize for taking so long to update. I had a family member pass away and I decided I needed to take a couple of months to focus on family and regroup. Also, my computer crashed so I lost everything I had written for this story and am starting fresh. I hope you all don't give up on me! Thanks to everyone who as favorite and followed!


	5. Chapter 5

_Flash Back Six Weeks Earlier:_

 _"But mom! Lindsey, Caroline and Ann are all going to be there! Why cant I spend the night too?" Grace whined as her mother pulled a casserole out of the oven and set it on the counter._

 _"Because you, Rory and I have plans tomorrow morning. If you sleep over at Ann's tonight you wont get any sleep and I will have to deal with you being grumpy tomorrow."_

 _"You get to go out tonight." Grace mumbled as she threw herself on the couch dramatically._

 _Alice rolled her eyes as she slipped on her black heals. "Honey, I am going to a dinner for work."_

 _The doorbell rang and Alice patted Grace's head as she walked pass to answer the door. "Millie, thank you so much for coming at such short notice to watch the girls. I can't even tell you how much I appreciate it."_

 _"It's no problem, Alice. I am glad I could help." The teenager smiled looking over into the TV room. "Hi, Grace!"_

 _Grace mumbled something inaudible from the couch and Alice rolled her eyes. "Don't mind her. She is upset with me for not letting her go to a sleepover tonight. I just took dinner out of the oven, all of the girls homework is done. Just make sure they go to bed at a reasonable hour so they wont have a problem getting up tomorrow."_

 _Millie nodded as Alice walked over to the couch and stroked Graces long brown hair. "I love you Grace."_

 _Grace looked at her mother and then back at the TV._

 _Alice leaned over and kissed her head. "Be good for Millie. Don't be upset with her because you are mad at me. I will see you when I get home. Love you."_

 _Grace turned her head into the couch._

* * *

"I love you too mommy." Grace said tracing the words on her mothers tomb stone. "I really wish I would have told you that when you left. I hope you can forgive me. " Grace stuck her cold hands in her pockets and knelt on the cold ground, "I really wish you were here right now."

"Grace?" She heard a familiar voice from behind her. She turned around to see Tony running towards her. He let out a sigh of relief as he wrapped his arms around her. "Gray, I am so glad you are safe." He set her back on the ground and gave her a light slap on the back of the head. "What the heck were you thinking running off without telling anyone?"

The reality that everyone was going to be upset with her made her eyes filled with tears as she cried, "I had to tell my mom I was sorry. I didn't tell her I loved her when she left because I was mad at her. Why didn't I tell her I loved her?"

* * *

Grace could hear Gibbs barking on the other line when Tony called to tell him they could call off the search party because he had found her. After hanging up the phone Tony suggested they get some dinner before making the hour and a half drive back to DC. They agreed to go to a pizza shop Tony spent a lot of time at while working as a cop for the Baltimore Police Department. He shared with Grace some of his favorite things about living in Maryland, Grace did as well. After a few minutes of mindless chitchat Tony managed to get Grace to tell him everything. Why she left, how she was feeling, and everything in-between. She was surprised by how much she trusted him and how sweet he was to her. She told him he would make a good dad one day. Tony just laughed.

The trip to DC didn't take nearly long enough for Grace. She wished they could drive all night so she wouldn't have to face Gibbs at home.

"Please don't make me go in there." Grace whimpered as she sunk into the back seat of Tony's car. "He is going to kill me."

"Just tell him everything you told me." He smiled as he ruffled her hair. "He is probably going to have a couple of choice words for you but that is only because he loves you."

Grace looked up at him unconvinced.

He nodded. "I've got a story for you. Once many years ago when I was young…er I was working undercover with Gibbs and a girl named Kate. You never knew Kate but she was awesome and I'll tell you about her sometime. Anyway, Gibbs gave us all very strict instructions before hand. Half way into the assignment I didn't stick to the plan. It got Kate and I into a lot of trouble. Everything ended up being okay in the end but when Gibbs got a hold of me afterwards it was… brutal. Everything he said was right, I was stupid for not listening to him. I like to think he was mad mostly because he was scared since something really bad could have happened to Kate and I. Tough love, thats the Gibbs way… He loves you Gray."

Grace opened the car door. "If you don't see me at NCIS tomorrow it means I'm dead."

Tony laughed. "Tough love is better then no love."

Grace wondered if that were actually true as she walked in the front door. Gibbs was waiting on the couch for her. When she walked in he helped her take off her coat and hung it up next to his. Gibbs was quiet and different from what she expected. She thought about what she had seen in movies. Kid runs away, parents worry, throw their arms around them upon their awaited return. Gibbs didn't do that.

"I am glad you are back safe." He said.

She looked at him waiting for anything else.

"I think its time for you to get some sleep. Its been a long day."

She looked at him in disbelief. No lecture? No hug? What about everything Tony just told her? She took that as her answer. _He doesn't love me._

She walked half way up the stairs before turning back around and blurting out, "I get it now. I get why you can't stand me."

"Excuse me?" Gibbs asked standing at the bottom of the stairs. Grace shook her head and started walking. "Do not walk away from me young lady! I know you have some sort of problem with me that you haven't told me about so lets get it out in the open right now!"

Grace faced him with folded arms and walked down a few steps so they were almost at eye level with each other. "She loved you, you know."

He knew she was talking about her mother. Gibbs nodded. "I know."

"And she was devastated when you left."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Say you regret leaving us!" Grace yelled throwing her arms up in the air. "You left and never came back for over two years! After spending almost every weekend at our house to nothing!"

"Grace, things were complicated with your mom and I. We both decided it would be better for you girls if we spent less time together."

"How was that supposed to be better for me and Rory?" She yelled. "First we had to deal with our own father leaving us and then you!"

"Listen," Gibbs warned raising his voice. "Things didn't work out with me and your mom. Sometimes when you're an adult things get complicated but this isn't about me and your mom. This is about me and you. You cant keep acting like this for the next ten years until you go off to college. You cannot and will not stomp around the house like you own the place and you will not be leaving for Maryland or anywhere else without telling anyone."

Grace was taken back by Gibbs harsh tone and she regretted bringing any of this up in the first place. She could feel the lump in her throat as she wiped away one tear that had escaped from her eye.

Gibbs tone softened as he said, "Grace, we live here with a four year old who still believes in the easter bunny. Something has got to change."

The tears Grace had tried so hard to keep in for the last six weeks slipped onto her cheeks as she retreated upstairs. "You didn't even ask me why I went to Maryland! You don't love me!"

"Grace-" He was cut off by her bedroom door slamming. Gibbs cringed and rubbed his hands over his face. The sound of doors slamming and feet stomping up stairs had become a familiar song over the past six weeks.

"Daddy?" Gibbs looked up to see Rory standing at the top of the stairs with a worried expression on her face. "What did you say about the easter bunny?"


	6. Chapter 6

_Flashback Two Years Ago:_

 _"Gibbs what are we doing?" Alice asked as she walked him out to his car after a long weekend in Maryland._

 _He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss. "This."_

 _"I'm serious," She breathed, gently pushing him away. "I need to know where we stand. Grace is asking questions."_

 _"Well, why don't you tell her about us then?" He asked simply._

 _"Because Gibbs, I don't want to get her hopes up. She loves you a lot, so does Rory. They cant handle anyone else walking out on them… and I don't think I can either."_

 _"I'm not going anywhere Al. I've been here for the last year and half haven't I?"_

 _Alice looked down at the ground and nodded. "But… I love you Gibbs. I'm all in. If you asked me to pack up and run off with you and the girls tomorrow I would drop everything and do it."_

 _"But you don't think I feel the same way?" He asked with a blank expression._

 _Alice looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "You will always love Shannon." She looked up at Gibbs who was visibly tense. "As you should. She was your wife... but I just need to know that you can love me one day as much as you love her."_

 _"You know how I feel about you and the girls."_

 _She folded her arms as a gust of cold December air rushed past them. "I love you Gibbs… but this isn't going to work."_

 _The looked at each other for a moment, neither knowing exactly what to say. Alice placed her hand on his chest and gave him a soft kiss. "I'll be here if you change your mind. Goodnight, Gibbs."_

* * *

Gibbs had replayed that moment in his mind a million times since that night. One of his only regrets was getting in his truck and leaving Alice on her front porch that chilly December night. He felt a pain of guilt every time he though about it. He set down his glass of bourbon on his work table and picked up a piece of sand paper. Work was his best medicine. He had been downstairs ever since Grace ran up to her room. He thought it was best to give her a little space and get some rest before talking in the morning. Plus, he had to spend over thirty minutes calming Rory down, assuring her that the easter bunny was real still. He figured they could ruin that for her just yet.

Upstairs Grace laid curled up in her bed. She had not been able to sleep since she had ran into her bedroom. Her eyes stung from crying and her head throbbed every time she sniffed. She turned on her lamp by her bed and looked at the picture of her and her mom. She missed her but there was nothing she could do to bring her back. She sat up and slipped on a pair of mismatched socks and opened her bedroom door. She wondered if Gibbs was up still. She slipped down the stairs to the first floor and saw the light coming from the basement.

Gibbs was right. Something had to change because neither of them could go on like this forever. She took a deep breath as she opened the basement door not knowing what she was going to say next. Gibbs looked up at her from the middle of the basement where he was sanding his boat. They both stared at each other in silence for a moment as Grace realized she had been wrong all along. She saw the same thing in Gibbs eyes that she once saw in her moms. _Love_. He looked at her the same way she did.

She walked down to the second to last step and said with a tear in her eye,"I don't wanna fight anymore."

Gibbs dropped his sandpaper and picked her up in his arms. After kissing her head he sat her down on his work table. "Rule 51."

Grace shot him a confused look.

"Rule 51: Sometimes you're wrong." He said resting his arms on either side of her. "I think we have both been wrong the last few weeks. I've been trying to give you space instead of acting like your parent because I thought that was what you wanted. I realize now that was a mistake on my part. You've been pushing me away... I need you to meet me in the middle. Do you think you can do that?"

She nodded.

"Good, now I need you to to promise me something." He said. "Promise me you'll _let_ me love you."

She nodded as she whispered, "I promise."

"Now I am going to make you a promise. Are you ready?"

She nodded again.

"Grace, I promise to always be in your corner and to help you even when you don't want me to. I promise to tuck you in at night and tell you I love you. I promise to chase off the boys when you're allowed to date when you are thirty-"

"Thats old!" Grace giggle.

"Fine... twenty nine. I promise to always be there, to never leave and to be the father you need. I promise to love you forever."

"You'll be my dad too then?" She smiled.

"If you'll have me."

She nodded.

"Okay, now as your father I need to tell you this... What you did today was stupid. You scared me when you didn't come to NCIS. I had no idea where you were and couldn't get a hold of you."

She looked guilty down at her dangling feet realizing the worrying she had caused not only Gibbs but the rest of the team. "Sorry, Dad."

 _Dad_. He never thought her would hear that one come out of her mouth. He liked it. Finally they were both on the same page.

"We can talk more about your punishment is in the morning but its late."

She frowned. "Punishment?"

"Yeah Grace thats kind of how this whole parenting thing works. You mess up and get punished so you don't do it again. It won't be anything too bad this time around. Now pull this one again on me and you'll get more then a slap on the wrist."

"You're gonna slap my wrist?" She asked confused.

"Figure of speech, I'll explain it in the morning. Its late, lets get you back in bed."

"Carry me!"

Gibbs shrugged tossed her over his shoulder.

"Not like a sack of potatoes!" She gigged as he walked her up both sets of stairs and plopped her into bed.

"You're my sweet potato." He said brushing back her hair and kissing her forehead. "And I love you."

"Forever and ever?"

"Forever and ever."

* * *

"Whatcha doing, Gray?" Tony asked the follow afternoon at NCIS as he looked over to where she was sitting at Gibbs desk writing in a notebook.

"I'm being punished." She said as she kept writing. "I have to write 'I will not leave without an adult ever again' one hundred times."

"Well thats not too bad. Could be worse."

"Next time I do something stupid Dad said he's not gonna slap my wrist... whatever that means."

"Dad?" He asked. "When did that happen."

Grace dropped her pencil and looked over at him. "I took your advice. I told him everything... even about why I went to Maryland."

"Well look at you little miss taking my advice. I hope you learned something from this."

"What?" She smirked closing her notebook. "That not everything McGee and Ziva say about you behind your back is true?"

Tony sat up straight in his chair. "What things do they say about me?"

She laughed as she skipped towards the elevator. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey Gracie," McGee smiled from behind his desk the following day. "Are you excited for your plans tonight?"

"She's eight McLoser." Tony scoffed putting his feet up on his desk. "Eight year olds don't _have_ plans."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Tony. I think Grace has better plans tonight then you do. Gibbs bought them both tickets to the ballet."

"Are you kidding me?" Tony rolled his eyes as he looked over at Grace who was sticking her tongue out at him from behind Gibbs desk. "You basically run away and get rewarded? Who is going to take care of Jelly Bean then?"

By Jelly Bean he meant Rory. It was the nickname he had affectionally given her the first day they met when she ate all of the Jelly Beans in his desk. From that nick name came other different variations of it such as "Little Bean" "Beanie Baby" and just "Jelly" or "Bean". Tony was proud to say she now responded to all of her given nicknames.

McGee shrugged. "Dunno."

"Well, whoever they are, they are in for a wild night. I've been giving the little bean candy all afternoon. Have you seen that one on sugar? She's worse then Ziva when she has too much to—"

"Finish that sentence and I will kill you." Ziva snapped from her desk. Tony stopped smiling and shrank in his chair.

"Tony can I have more candy?" Rory asked skipping up to his desk.

"Go wild, bean." He said handing her another handful of skittles.

"I wouldn't give her anymore of those, DiNozzo." Gibbs said walking into the bullpen with coffee in hand. "You're going to have a hard time putting her to bed tonight."

Tony laughed nervously. "What Boss?"

"You're watching Rory tonight while I take Grace out. You owe me, remember?"

Tony looked up trying to remember what he owed Gibbs for. His eyes widened. "Oh… that thing. Boss I thought I already repaid you for that… remember all of that work I did on the boat?"

Gibbs looked at Tony, "Do I need to remind you in front of everyone what happened?"

"Yes, please." Ziva and McGee both said in unison.

Tony shook his head. "No. Please no boss."

"Then I will see you at my house a six tonight."

"Do we really think that is the best idea? I mean, I don't have any experience with kids… I have a fish but I'm not sure if that counts and-"

"Tony," Gibbs cut him off. "You are a special agent of a government agency. Are you telling me you can't handle my four year old daughter?"

* * *

"AHHHHHHH!" Rory screamed as she jumped off the kitchen counter in Tony's direction.

Tony also let out a girlish shriek, much like Rory's only his was in fear. He caught her in his arms a let out a sigh of relif.

"Okay. Okay." He said setting her down. "None of that. I think it is almost time for every babysitters favorite time of the night… BEDTIME!"

"No!" Rory giggled as she ran circles around Tony. "Play with me!"

Tony rubbed his temples as he swore under his breath and made a mental note to never give Rory any more candy. "Beanie baby, I played barbies with you, had a tea party, watched the little mermaid one _and_ two. Now it is bedtime."

She pouted as she hung onto his leg. "No, Tony. Don't make me go to bed yet."

He glanced over at the clock. It was already forty minutes past her bedtime. "If your dad walks through that door and you're not in bed we are both dead. Lets end the night on a good note and get some rest."

"Story?" She asked looking up at him.

Her eyes. Those big, green eyes. He couldn't say no. He sighed and threw her over his shoulder, grabbed a slice of pizza from the box and carried her upstairs. "One. Got it?"

She giggled as he set her down on her bed. She reached for one of her favorite books and handed it to him. "This one."

He read the cover out loud, " _The Barenstain Bears: New Baby"_

He then read the book… _twice_ proving to still be a sucker for her sweet pleading. If McGee and Ziva knew what a push over he was when it came to Rory he would never live it down. At the end of the story Rory told him that he was the second-best story teller in the world, next to Gibbs. Tony could hardly imagine Gibbs getting more into a story then him.

Rory yawned, "Tony when are you gonna have a baby?"

Tony began to choke on the bite of pizza he just ate. "Excuse me?" He coughed.

"Grace told me people get pregnant when the eat to much pizza." She said patting his belly. "You like pizza."

"Jelly Bean," Tony sighed picking up her hand and removing it from his stomach. "You cant believe everything Gracie tells you."

She frowned, "So it's not true?"

He shook his head.

"Where do babies come from then?" She asked with a worried expression.

Tony looked around the room nervously. "You know… from the mommy's tummy."

"Well, duh." She rolled her eyes. "But how does the baby get _in_ there?"

Tony groaned. Her sass was overwhelming. "It just gets in there, alright?"

"Not because of pizza?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"So when are you going to have a baby?"

He laughed. "Not for a very, very, very long time."

"But you're old." She said matter of factly. "Soon you'll be too old to have a baby."

He laughed to cover the pain. "How old do you think I am?"

" _Old_ … like nineteen."

Tony let out a bellowing laugh. "Have I ever told you you're my favorite?"

"I know!" Rory said throwing her arms up in the air. "So tell me how the baby gets in the mommies tummy!"

Tony cringed. This was not the kind of conversation he was planning on having tonight or ever with either of the girls. "Rory, I think this is a question you should ask your dad."

Rory looked at him before letting out a blood curdling scream.

Tony automatically put his hand over her mouth. "Hey, stop that! The neighbors are going to think I abuse you!"

She stopped screaming and glared at with him with her mouth still covered, stuck out her tongue and licked his hand.

"Ah!" He yelled pulling his hand away and wiping it on his pants. "Fine… I'll tell you the short, simple version but then I am going back downstairs and you are going to bed. Capisci?"

Rory giggled at Tonys best attempt to be stern with her. She nodded and tried to hide her smirk as she snuggled in her covers.

"Okay," He sighed trying to find the best way to satisfy Rory's curiosity and not get a slap to the head next week at work. "Do you know what kinds of things mommies and daddies do to show they love each other?"

Rory scrunched her nose. "Yeah they do icky things like kiss on the lips!"

"Yeah, good job." He said still having no idea where he was going with this. "Sometime they do… _other things_ to show each other how much they love each other and then that makes a baby."

"What other things?"

"Um, well… sometimes they go into their bedroom and get under the covers so they don't get cold and do... a _special dance_."

Rory looked up for a moment trying to process the new information she had just been given before looking back at Tony. "A dance like the Macarena? Can you show me?"

"No Rory." he sighed covering his face with his hands. "No, I will not."

* * *

"And did you see her do that triple-pirouette on pointe?" Grace beamed from the back seat of Gibbs truck on their way home from the ballet. Even though Gibbs did not particularly care for any ballet it was worth it to see Grace be a carefree happy kid again. The car ride home was his favorite part as Grace gushed over how amazing the performance was. He couldn't help but smile when he would glance back and see her trying to reenact the movements sitting down in the back seat.

"I did." He laughed as he pulled into as unfamiliar parking lot.

Grace stopped dancing as Gibbs parked the car. "Where are we?"

"Come on," He said opening his door. "I wanna show you something."

Gibbs helped her out of the car and on to the empty DC sidewalk. They walked down the road for a minute before stopping in front of a building she had never seen before.

"Joy of Motions Dance Academy." Grace read out loud. "Why did you bring me here?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I wanted to show you where you are going to be spending a couple nights a week for dance classes."

Grace's jaw dropped. She had taken dance from the of age five and was devastated when she had to leave her old dance studio when they moved to DC. "Really?"

Gibbs nodded. "I know how much you miss being on the dance competition team at your old studio in Maryland. It's not the same but I got you an audition next week for the competition team here… if you want it."

Grace screamed as she jumped into his arms. "Of course I do! ThankYouThankYouThankYou!"

Gibbs smiled as Grace ran up and pressed her face up to the window to try and get a better peak inside. She turned around to look at him, still beaming. "But why?"

"Rule number five: You don't waste good. I've seen you dance. You're good."

Grace ran up to him and gave him another hug. He kissed her head before taking her hand in his as they walked back to the car.

She looked up at him as they walked down the sidewalk. "How many rules do you have?"

"About 50."

Her eyes widened. "Why so many?"

"Everyone needs a set of rules they can live by." he said simply. "I'm going to teach you everyone of them."

He helped her in the car and drove back home. By the time he pulled in the driveway she was already asleep in the back seat. He picked her up and brought her inside to a quiet house and laid her gently in her bed, taking off her shoes before pulling the covers over her. He hadn't done this in years. Not since Kelly. He quietly walked to the next room down the hall to see Rory fast asleep in her bed and Tony passed out on the carpet next to her. He pulled the covers over Rory's shoulders and grabbed a extra blanket and put it on Tony. He figured there was no use in waking him. He was sure he had a hell of a night with Rory. He laughed at the thought of Tony getting the little one in bed and looked forward to hearing about how everything went in the morning.

 _The soul is healed by being with children._ Gibbs remembered hearing that quote many years ago. Through being a father to Kelly he had learned it to be true. He got glimpses of it again a handful of times after her passing when working with kids at NCIS and now he was feeling it everyday again with Grace and Rory. Later that night he reached for a picture on the top shelf of his workspace in the basement and used his sleeve to wipe off the dust. It was a picture of his first little girl.

"You were the first one to heal my soul." He said stroking the edge of the frame. "I really miss you, Kelly."


	8. Chapter 8

"Okay, okay." McGee laughed holding his camera in front of Rory's face. "Why are you mad at Tony again?"

"Well I am not just mad at Tony! I'm mad at Gracie too!" The four year old huffed as she folded her arms with a scowl on her face.

"Okay, well tell me why you are mad at both of them then." He said zooming in on her face.

Rory had been sitting in Gibbs chair for the last thirty minutes pouting. Now if you didn't know Rory you may think that was normal but if you knew her that kind of behavior would send off a red flag. You could hardly get her to sit down for thirty seconds on a normal day. Normally you could find her skipping around the bullpen and running off to places she shouldn't. When McGee noticed her sitting in the same spot for more then a few minutes he knew something was wrong.

She sighed dramatically and folded her arms. "Because Gracie told me that you get pregnant when you eat too much pizza and then I asked Tony and he told me it wasn't true! She lied!'

McGee tried to hold back his laugher and hold the camera stead. "Okay, now tell me why you are mad at Tony." She had already told him once and he almost died upon hearing her response and automatically reached for his video camera. This would be a home video for the ages... or at least her wedding one day.

"I asked Tony how the baby gets in the mommies tummy and he said mommies and daddies do a special dance in their bed and he wouldn't show me!" She said obviously traumatized from the whole experience.

"Okay then. There you have it." McGee said to the camera. "Rory is there anything you would like to say to Tony?"

"I hate you and I am never going to speak to you ever again." She said sticking her tongue out at the camera.

McGee closed the camera and placed it back in his desk and Gracie walked out of the bullpen with a defeated look on her face. She walked across the bullpen without saying a word, grabbed the extra chair next to McGee's desk and brought it next to Rory.

"Hey, Gracie. How was school?" he asked.

She sighed as she tossed her backpack to the side and took a seat and laid her head down on Gibbs desk. "Ugh."

"Third grade is that hard these days?"

She sat up and gave him a blank expression. "I have to talk in front of my class at the end of this week."

"Just you?" Rory asked.

She shook her head. "Everyone has to do it. Our homework is to think about the most important life lesson we've learned and share it with the class."

"Well, that doesn't sound too bad." McGee said. "I am sure there is a lot you can talk about."

"Gracie is afraid of talking in front of people." Rory blurted out. She looked over at Grace who was giving her the death glare. She covered her mouth. "Whoops."

"Thanks, Rory." Grace said sarcastically.

"What?" Tony chimed walking in the bullpen with Ziva. "Did I just hear little miss chatterbox is afraid of public speaking?"

"You picture the people naked, yes?" Ziva asked. Everyone glanced over. "What? I heard that helps!"

Tony turned to Grace. "Disregard everything she just said."

"Its your culture, not mine!" Ziva defended herself folding her arms.

"No, Zi-va!" He said rolling his eyes. "You picture them in their underwear!"

"Why would you picture someone in their underwear?"

"Why would you tell an eight year old to picture her classmates naked?!"

Their quarrel was interrupted by Gibbs who didn't think twice before slapping both of their heads on his way to his desk. "What have I told you two about bickering?"

"That it makes the bullpen a stressful environment..." Tony mumbled.

Ziva the added, "...and it resolves nothing."

"Sometimes I think you two are worse then Rory and Gracie when they go at it." He joked ruffling each of the girls hair as he reached in his desk for his gun. "Grab your gear. Body in Quantico."

Grace automatically grabbed her backpack. "Can we come?"

Gibbs shook his head, removed the backpack from her shoulders and directed her to Ziva's desk. "Sit."

"But what if I-"

"We have talked about this. Abby is going to be up here any minute to keep and eye on you two. Until then you both stay here and sit tight. Understood?"

Grace frowned and sunk into her chair as she watched Gibbs and the rest of the team walk towards the elevator.

"Plus, don't you have to figure out what you are going to say in front of your class?"

Her jaw dropped. "How did you know I...?"

"He's Gibbs." Tony said as the elevator door closed on them. "He knows everything."

She laughed as she looked over at Rory who was running across the bullpen to Tony's desk. She jumped into his chair, opened the desk and pulled out a car magazine out and set it on the desk.

"What are you doing with that?" Grace asked as her younger sister reached in another drawer for a sharpie. She repeated the same words again, this time with more urgency, "Rory what are you doing?"

Rory didn't respond to her older sister as she scribbled making bold streaky black lines all over the cover.

"Aurora!" Grace yelled running across the bullpen and grabbing the marker out of her hand. "Thats Tony's vintage car magazine, Rory! Do you know what vintage means?"

She innocently shook her head.

"That means its old and expensive... also that they are hard to find." She sighed snapping on the lid of the sharpie and putting it back in Tony's desk.

Rory ignored her sister opening the magazine and ripping out a handful of pages. "I'm mad at Tony."

"Rory!" She yelled snatching what remained of the magazine. "Do you have a death wish? Dad and Tony are going to kill you!"

"Please don't tell dad." Rory begged. "Please, please, please!

"Give me the rest of the magazine." She said collecting the pages Rory had ripped out moments before walking across the bullpen and shoving them into her backpack. "When we get back to the house tonight I will throw it out in the trashcan outside that way dad will never see it."

Rory nodded. Thankful for a big sister who knew what to do.

* * *

"Hey! Where is my vintage corvette magazine?" Tony looked around the bullpen with accusing eyes. "McGee... or should I say McThief!"

"Tony, I didn't touch your 'vintage corvette magazine'." He rolled his eyes. "You probably miss placed it."

He shook his head. "No, oh no. I never move it out of my desk. My first partner at Baltimore PD gave it to me because he knew how much I loved corvettes and I have kept it in my desk ever since!"

Gibbs walked into the bullpen followed by Grace and Rory who were bundled up in their coats getting ready to go home for the evening. "You lose something DiNozzo?"

"My vintage car magazine." He frowned like a little child. "It is always in my desk... but it's not there anymore."

"Well I haven't seen it." he said. "Girls, have you seen it?"

Grace and Rory shook their heads.

"I'm sure it will turn up DiNozzo. Look for it tomorrow. All of you should go home and get some rest. It has been a long day."

The Gibbs and the girls made their way to the parking lot and started their commute back to their home. Every few minutes Gibbs would check to see if they were still awake. Normally the girls were both talkative on the way home but tonight each one of them just peered out the window. Something was off.

"You two are awful quiet." Gibbs commented peering into the back seat. "Something on your mind?"

Rory looked guilty down at her hands and Grace sighed without making eye contact and both replied, "No."

The normal routine counted like clockwork when they got home. Dinner, bath, bedtime story and tucking the girls in bed. After giving Grace a kiss on the head and shutting the door her heart dropped as she remembered what she was supposed to throw out earlier. The magazine. She shot out of bed, slipped on her slippers, grabbed her back pack and tip toes down the stairs, praying Gibbs was already in the basement for the night.

" _Rory is so lucky she has me._ " she mumbled to herself as she quietly opened the door. She made it half way down the driveway when to door opened again.

"Grayson!" Gibbs called from the front door. "Where are you going?"

She cringed. The full name. He was on to her. She had to think fast. "Oh, hi dad. I accidentally left a yogurt in my backpack from a few days ago... I meant to throw it out earlier… but I forgot."

"We have a trashcan in the house you know." He said pointing back inside.

"Oh I know." She said nervously. "But I... didn't want it to make the kitchen smell so I thought I better throw it in the outside trash."

"Okay." He said jogging up to her. "Let me walk with you. I don't really want you being outside when it's dark... if it is just until the end of the driveway."

She cringed. She was going to be caught in her lie now. Gibbs lifted the lid off the trashcan. "Where is the yogurt?

She guilty looked down at the ground. "I don't have one."

He nodded. "Is there something else in you backpack you want to throw out?"

She nodded.

"Is it something you don't want me to see?"

She shook her head as she opened her backpack and shamefully pulled out the mangled remains of Tony's magazine.

Gibbs inwardly groaned as he gently took her hand. "Lets go inside."

* * *

TBC..

thanks to those who have taken the time to favorite, comment, and follow this story.


	9. Chapter 9

Grace sat down at the end of the dining room table as Gibbs tossed the magazine in front of her. "Explain."

Grace swallowed hard. "It was a accident. I was going through Tony's desk and I messed it up."

"By accident?" Gibbs repeated.

She nodded.

"Hmm..." He nodded. "You did it?"

Grace looked up at the celing. "Right."

"Thats funny..." He said pointing to the front page "The sharpie artwork looks more like something Rory would do."

"It was me."

Gibbs chuckled as he shook his head. "Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me the truth?"

She looked around the kitchen... making eye contact with anything that wasn't Gibbs as she shook her head.

"Grayson Louise, do not lie to me."

She knew he saw right through her but continued. "It... It was me."

"Grace, if you don't start telling me the truth we are going to have a problem. I don't want that. Do you understand?"

She made eye contact for a belief moment before breaking it. She knew if she made eye contact with him any longer he would be able to read her mind, or so her eight year old mind thought. "I didn't mean to do it. I'm sorry."

"Grayson Louise." He warned, "I am very close to washing your mouth out with soap for lying. Do you want that?"

She cupped her mouth with her hands and shook her head.

"You have until the count of three." He sighed. "One... two..."

She sighed as her hands fell to her lap as she whispered, "Don't be mad at Rory."

It took a little while but Grace finally told Gibbs the truth. After a long chat about how you don't keep secrets from dad he sent her to bed with specific instructions not to tell Rory he knew the truth of what had happened.

The next morning after dropping Gracie off at her dance class Rory and Gibbs sat around the table eating breakfast.

"I talked to Tony this morning." Gibbs said casually. "He still can't find his magazine. He is really sad about it."

"Oh... that is sad." Rory frowned. "I hope he finds it."

Gibbs refrained from shaking his head. His little girl was lying right to his face.

"You said you hadn't seen it at all yesterday, right?"

She nodded not looking up from her bowl of cereal.

"Is there anything you want to tell me, Rory?"

"No."

He nodded. "Well, I have something to show you."

Rory looked up from her cereal and peered over the kitchen table to look at what Gibbs was pulling out of his bag. She cringed as he set the magazine she had destroyed on the table.

"I know you did it, Rory." He said scooting the magazine over to her. "I know you ruined Tony's magazine."

She gulped. "I didn't do that."

"Rory if one more lie comes out of your mouth you are going to be in even more trouble then you already are." He warned raising one finger in the air. "Tell me what happened. The truth."

"I didn't mean to." Rory shrunk in her chair. "It was an accident."

Gibbs shot up from his chair and picked Rory up. "I didn't want to have to do this but you have left me no choice."

Rory's eyes widened as she realized how much trouble she was in. She struggled to get out of his arms as she pleaded. "I take it back! I did it on purpose!"

Gibbs ignored her cries and stormed up the stairs with every intention of tossing Rory over his knee and giving her a spanking. That spanking turned into a swat. A single, light swat over her jeans and a long lecture about why it is wrong to lie.

In his younger days, when Kelly was Rory's age, if Kelly had pulled a stunt like that Gibbs wouldn't have thought twice about giving her a good spanking. But he was older now and though he would never admit it to anyone he was getting soft.

Rory cried as though she had received a hundred swats instead of just one. It was obvious that the whole thing hurt her feelings more then her bottom. She sobbed as Gibbs stood her up in front of him and told her about the dangers of lying. Their conversation ended with an apology, hugs, kisses and an action plan of how Rory was going to do everything she could to make up for ruining Tony's beloved car magazine.

* * *

"Fifty-nine dollars?!" Rory said in disbelief after Gibbs told her the price of what another vintage magazine was going to cost. "I'll never make that much money in my whole life!"

"Yes, you will. You are going to help me do some things around the yard and in the house." Gibbs said. "I'll pay you for the work you do so you can buy the magazine and give it to Tony."

"Can't I just say I'm sorry?" She frowned.

He shook his head. "You need to make things right. That takes more the just an apology."

She sighed. "I have to do it all today?"

"Yes, so we can drop the magazine off at Tony's tonight so you can apologize." He nodded. "We are going to clean out the garage, repaint the fence and pull weeds in the back yard."

Rory worked hard all morning and afternoon helping Gibbs with all of the various chores. By the end of the day she was exhausted. A full day for all work an almost no play was harder then she had imagined. Gibbs paid her the fifty-nine dollars and they drove to the local pawn shop to purchase the magazine.

Rory handed the cashier the money she had earned and in return he handed her the same magazine she had previously destroyed. Moments later Rory stood in Tony's living room apologizing for what she had done. She tearfully told him she would never do anything to hurt in like that ever again.

* * *

After putting Rory to bed Grace and Gibbs shared chocolate brownie ice-cream striaght out of the carton at the kitchen table as they talked about their day. Grace talked about her audition for the dance studio and how she was excited to be a new member of their competition team. Gibbs told her about his day with Rory and all of the things they had done around the house and how Rory had made things right with Tony.

"But I don't understand." Gracie said pulling the ice-cream toward her to her to grab a bite. "Why did you pay Rory that much money to help you with chores? She's four, I am sure you did most of the work."

"Yeah." He nodded. "But she needed it so she could make things right with Tony. It isn't about the money, its about the lesson she learned."

"But why did you do that?" She asked again. "That isn't your job to fix."

He nodded his head. "It is now that I am your dad. It comes with the job."

"What?" Grace smirked. "Having to fix everyones problems?"

"Kind of." He chuckled. "You do what you have to for family. You, me and Rory are family."

They both ate a couple bites of ice-cream in silence before Gibbs spoke again.

"Gracie, one day you will have a problem you cant fix on your own. When that day comes you come to me. You come to your dad. I never want you to be afraid to come to me because I would do anything for you. Okay?"

Her dad. She loved it when he referred to himself as her father. She nodded as she had the happiest feeling overcome her body. This is what her mother had talked to her about. Everglow.

"Hey!" Gibbs said. "Where are you going?"

"I figured something out!" She said as she ran into her bedroom and pulled out a school notebook and wrote at the top of the page "Class Presentation".

* * *

 _Flashback:_

 _Alice's divorce from Parker left her in shambles. For the first time in her life she felt alone. Without a father for her children and a husband to support her she felt utterly helpless. The only light she had was her girls. Then there was Gibbs, one of Parkers Marine buddies. She had know him as long as Parker. The two always seemed to be a package deal. When Parker was beginning to form some dangerous habits with drugs Gibbs stepped in, told him he needed to do a better job at taking care of his family and tried to help him. Parker refused and left and Alice filed for divorce. Alice never expected Gibbs to stick around the way he did. After all he was Parkers friend first. But he stayed for Alice and the girls. He loved them and made them feel safe._

 _One night after being tucked into bed by Alice and Gibbs, Grace could hear laughter coming from down the hall. She quietly got out of bed, put on her slippers and tip toed across the floor to peak inside the living room._

 _Gibbs and Alice were lounging on the couch together. Alice was laughing about something Gibbs had whispered to her. She smiled and took a big deep breath and sat up straight so she could look directly at Gibbs._

 _"Have you ever heard of everglow?" She asked holding his hand._

 _Gibbs shook his head._

 _"Everglow comes after you've gone through something really hard. Its basically the most intense feeling of peace and happiness you can have… a feeling that everything is going to be okay. It doesn't come very often but I feel it right now. I feel it with you."_

 _Grace peaked inside the room again and saw Gibbs rub her cheek with his thumb and kiss her. Grace ran back to her room and laid in her bed._

 _Everglow._

 _She thought about the word over and over again as she drifted off to sleep as she tried to imagine what it would be like to feel it for herself._


	10. Chapter 10

Gibbs rang for the third time in a row as McGee stared and Tony and he stared back at him. This had been going on for minutes. McGee blinked, losing their staring contest and Tony immediately laughed and pointed at the ringing phone. "Get it McLoser!"

McGee let out an exasperated sigh, "You're a child, did you know that?"

"You're weak." Tony said as Tim walked over to this phone and answered it.

"Agent Gibbs desk, this is Agent McGee... No, I'm sorry he is in Virginia on an undercover assignment for the rest of the day. Is everything alright?"

Tony tried to listen in as McGee shook his head and continued.

"No, Ma'am there must be some sort of mistake. That doesn't sound like something that she would do... Okay, I will be there in ten minutes."

"Whats up Timmy?" Tony asked leaning forward onto his desk. "You look McStressed."

"Shut it, Tony." He said throwing his coat over his shoulders. "Grace got in a fight at school and got herself suspended for the rest of the day. I have to go pick her up."

"Is she hurt?" He asked throwing all his kidding aside. "What happened?"

McGee shrugged. "Her principal didn't say. Don't say anything to anyone until we figure out what happened."

"Of course." Tony said as McGee walked into the elevator. He waited until he picked up the phone and dialed Abby's lab. "Abby is going to freak."

* * *

Grace was convinced whoever said, "sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me" had never been in the third grade before or met Trevor Gilles. When she woke up this morning she never thought she would be sitting in the principals office being told about how "physical violence would not be tolerated at school". She grimaced as she regretted coming to school, giving her class presentation, and most of all for kicking Trevor.

"Gracie," McGee rushed into the front office. He was a little winded and his cheeks were flushed from the cool DC weather. "Are you okay?"

She nodded as she tried to hold back her tears. "Where's my dad?"

"He is on an assignment in Virginia." he said as the principal signaled for McGee to come into her office. "Stay here."

She could only imagine the things Principal Patterson was telling him. It was probably something along the lines of how Grace kicked Trevor Gilles for no reason. At least that was the story Trevor had been sharing.

"I trust you will pass this information along to her father." She said as the door opened. "Tell him I will give him a call this weekend."

"Yes, Ma'am." He nodded picking up Grace's backpack and ushering her out of the school in silence.

Grace glanced over at him confused as they walked passed the parking lot without getting into his car. "Where are we going?"

"Down the street." He said pointing to the building a few blocks away.

She looked at his skeptically as they entered an ice-cream shop. "We're getting ice-cream?"

He nodded. "Personally, I think it is a little cold outside for ice-cream but I hear its your favorite dessert. Which one do you want?"

"Chocolate Brownie." She said without looking at the options. She knew this place well, Gibbs had taken her here.

McGee got vanilla which Grace couldn't understand. She thought it might as well be a sin to get ice-cream without any sort of chocolate in it. He paid and handed her the single scoop on a sugar cone and took a seat.

"I don't get it." She said looking at her ice-cream and then at McGee. "I get kicked out of school early and you're buying me ice-cream."

"You've had a rough day already." McGee shrugged. "Lets talk about it."

Grace frowned. "Do we have to?"

He nodded. "Your principal told me you wouldn't tell her what Trevor did to you today to make you hit him."

She shrugged picking at the side of her cone.

"Grace, I know you. I know you are a sweet girl." He said leaning his elbows on the table. "I also know you wouldn't hit someone for no reason."

She took a bite of her ice-cream and mumbled, "I hate Trevor."

"How come?" McGee asked, wanting to know the whole story.

"Because he is an ass, McGee!" She said. "Can we not talk about it, please?"

"Gracie!" McGee snapped looking around to see if anyone had heard her. "Don't say that word."

"Why?" She asked. "You called Tony that on Monday."

McGee sighed and swore at himself in his mind for letting that slip out when Grace was in the bullpen a few days ago. "Listen, it's not a good. Kids can't say that word. Okay? If Gibbs hear you say that he will freak."

They sat at the ice-cream shop without much conversation. It was clear Grace didn't want to talk about what happened and McGee felt defeated as he drove them back to NCIS.

"You didn't get anything out of her?" Tony asked in disbelief after they got back to NCIS. "For someone who interrogates criminals for a living that is pitiful McGee."

"Well, she is not a criminal, she is a child, and I bought her ice-cream to try and get it out of her but it didn't work."

Tony rolled his eyes. "You can't just buy her ice-cream and expect her to tell you what happened. You need to be firm, show her who's boss." He said in a hushed tone as they both glanced over at Grace who was spinning around in McGee's chair. "Watch." Tony cleared his throat, "Grayson, come here."

Grace looked at him skeptically as she walked up to him. "What?"

"We need to have a talk about what happened at school today."

She folded her arms. "No."

"Tell me what happened."

"No."

"Why?"

"No."

"Are you going to say "no" to everything I say?"

"No."

"Gracie." He warned.

"Tony." She said mimicking his tone.

The two stared at each other with squinting eyes before Tony broke the silence. "Just tell me."

Grace looked down at the ground. "I'll whisper it to you."

"See, McGee? This is how you handle children." Tony smiled.

Grace cupped both hands around Tony's ears before letting out a blood curdling scream.

The scream was loud enough to make the hairs on his arms stand straight up. He pulled back too hard, hitting the back of his head on the mental file cabinet behind him. He held his ear and the back of his head and let out a painful moan.

"I'm gonna go see Ducky." she said running out of the bullpen.

McGee looked over at Tony and laughed. "You're right Tony. You really have a way with kids."

* * *

McGee, Tony, Abby, Palmer, and even Ducky had somehow tried to asked Grace about what had happened but she wasn't talking. She wouldn't say it out loud but she was embarrassed and the more she was asked about what had happened the more she wanted to curl up in a ball and forget this whole day happened.

It was late when Gibbs finally got back to NCIS with Ziva. Their undercover assignment had been successful and all that was left to do was paperwork. He was greeted warmly by Rory was waiving a picture she had draw at McGee's desk to show him. Grace however sat in Gibbs desk in silence. After escaping down to autopsy after her little episode with Tony upstairs Ducky sent her back with an icepack that could be used as a peace offering and suggested she apologize to Tony for giving him a migraine. She took the suggestion to heart, apologize to Tony and then taking a seat back in Gibbs chair and had hardly moved since.

"Gracie," Gibbs said ruffling her hair. "You don't look to happy to see me."

"Grace got in a fight at school today." Rory piped up from behind Ziva's desk. "McGee had to pick her up from school and everything!"

The McGee spoke, "Boss, I tried to call you but-"

Gibbs ignored him and looked at Grace. "Is that true?"

She looked up at him with sad eyes and nodded.

"Is Gracie gonna get a spanking?" Rory asked with wide eyes.

Gibbs shot her a look that said, "knock it off right now" without any words. He turned to Grace. "Did you hit someone?"

She nodded.

"Okay," He nodded before turning to his team. "We can finish this paperwork tomorrow. Everyone go home and get some rest."

As the team left Grace and Rory grabbed their things and walked to the car. Rory was the only one who spoke the whole way home as she told everyone about what she learned at preschool.

Grace was the first one in the house. She had made a plan to run up to her room as fast as she could, put on her pajamas and fall asleep before Gibbs could come talk to her. Though she was fast, Gibbs was faster and got into the house right before she made it to the top of the stairs.

"Grace," He said hanging up his coat. "After you get ready for bed we are going to talk."

She nodded and quickly brushed her teeth, put on her nightgown, and jumped in bed and pretended to be asleep. She squeezed her eyes shut hard when her bedroom door cracked open.

"Grace," Gibbs said taking a seat on the bed and rubbing her side. "We've only been home for three minutes. I know you can't fall asleep that fast."

Gracie pulled the covers over her head and mumbled something Gibbs couldn't understand.

"What?" He asked pulling the covers off of her and helping her up.

"I hit him for a good reason." She said, automatically feeling the need to defend herself. "Trevor deserved it."

"What did he do?"

"He made fun of my class presentation at recess." She said visibly upset, evident from the tears forming in her eyes. "I showed a picture of our family... you, me, Gracie, the team and then a picture of just mom. He told me because you and I have different blood we can't be family. Then I told him to shut up and save his stupid comments for his mom and then he said, 'At least my mom isn't dead'. Then I kicked him in the stomach and whacked his face a few times until pulled me off of him."

Gibbs thought for a moment. "What is Trevor would have told you the sky wasn't blue and actually green? Would you have paid any attention to him?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because it isn't true and its stupid."

"Would you have believed him?"

She shook her head. "No."

He nodded. "Then why did you believe what he told you today? Was it stupid and untrue?"

She thought about it for a moment, "Yeah, I guess it was."

He leaned forward so there faces were only a few inches apart. "Let me be clear: We don't start fights in this family. Now, if someone comes up to you and hits you, you have my permission to finish the fight, but if something like this happens again at school you need to find a teacher. Do not hit. Do you understand me?"

She nodded and snuggled up close to him.

"You are a good girl." he said kissing her head. "You're my girl. My daughter."

Grace landed a big kiss on his cheek as she told Gibbs how much she loved him. Gibbs did the same, tucked her in bed and asked, "Now are there any more important matters we need to talk about tonight?"

She nodded. "I want our last names to match... I want my name to be Grayson Gibbs."

* * *

Flash Forward four months later:

"Case number 11-453-787 regarding Grayson, Aurora, and Leroy Gibbs." The judge stated looking down at her notes. "After looking over the files and meeting with each one of you I see Mr. Gibbs has provided a loving home to the girls for the last six months and see no reason why he shouldn't be named their legal father. So by the District of Columbia I grant sole custody of Grayson Louise and Aurora Rose to Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

The papers we signed. Pictures were taken. It was final. Everyone had come to the court on March 14th and sat on the hard courtroom benches to see Grace, Rory and Gibbs be pronounced a legal family. Right as they were about to leave the courtroom Grace insisted on a picture with everyone in attendance.

A shot of Gibbs, Grace, Rory, Tony, McGee, Ziva, Abby, Ducky, Palmer, and even the director was taken by the courtroom clerk and later framed and put on Graces nightstand. She looked at the picture one last time before going to sleep and pushed the other picture on her nightstand, a picture of her mother, close enough to touch. She smiled as she repeated a phrase her mother once said, "Family is not an important thing, its everything."

* * *

A/N: Hey ya'll! This was the last chapter for this story! A big thank you to all of the kind people who followed/favorited/commented on my very first fanfiction story. It truly means so much to me. I still feel like Gibbs, Grace and Rory will have many more adventures to come so I am thinking about writing another story. If that is something you would like to see feel free to drop me a review and let me know! Also, feel free to leave any suggestions of things you may want to see in later stories. Again thanks so much for everything, have a blessed day!


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